In the formation of molded articles, the integration of one or more preformed items into the molded article during the molding process may be desired. One common way of incorporating preformed items into a molded article is via insert molding. Insert molding involves first placing the preformed item into a desired location within a mold, and then adding a moldable material, such as a polymer, into the mold in such a manner that the polymer either contacts or surrounds at least part of the preformed item. As the moldable material sets, the preformed item is incorporated into the molded article.
The preformed item typically must be held in place during the molding process. One approach to hold the preformed item in place involves forming mounting holes in the mold that are configured to accept complementary mounting pins on the preformed item. Another approach is to apply adhesive to the preformed item and/or to the mold at the desired location. The latter approach is further described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,037,455, the complete disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference for all purposes.
Other examples of molding methods and articles manufactured using molding methods are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,270,101; 3,390,482; 3,972,975; 4,028,845; 4,057,612; 4,444,550; 4,571,209; 4,596,683; 4,642,209; 4,662,857; 4,673,374; 4,890,356; 5,164,144; 5,257,873; 5,498,388; 5,510,074; 5,645,780; 5,894,006; 5,913,708; 5,919,324; 5,955,021; 5,989,658; 6,050,875; 6,089,950; 6,331,028; 6,375,778; 6,482,287; 6,544,094; 6,544,634; and 6,776,681; Great Britain Patent No. 1423154; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0155262; and European Patent Application No. 0256818. The complete disclosures of the above patents and patent applications are herein incorporated by reference for all purposes.